| Subject: |
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Please help save Patrick's Lounge in St. Paul |
| Name: |
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Lisa S |
| Date Posted: |
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May 18, 06 - 4:06 PM |
| Email: |
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mn_bud_girl@yahoo.com |
| Message: |
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I have a perfect example of how the expanded smoking
ban in St. Paul is destroying a neighborhood bar. I
believe this situation is a bit different than some of
the bars we typically hear are affected by the ban.
This bar is not in the “ghetto” or even the East Side,
it is not downtown where there are other attractions.
This bar is located in the quaint Como Park
neighborhood, right across the street from Roseville.
And, it has not received any publicity to date
regarding the smoking ban.
I’m talking about my favorite community hang out –
Patrick’s Lounge. It is located near the intersection
of Hamline and Larpentuer Avenues. This bar has been a
staple of the community for many, many years – in
fact, it is one of the bars who had a liquor license
back when it was nearly impossible to get one.
Patrick’s has a “Cheers-like” atmosphere, where
everybody knows you name. When I first started going
there years ago, like most of the “regulars” at the
bar, I lived right down the street. At Patrick’s, you
could often see the regulars having pot lucks parties
for someone’s Birthday, gathering after the death of a
loved one, or simply unwinding on a Friday night.
After the Minneapolis ban went into effect, Patrick’s
got an even larger following – since it is relatively
close to the west side of town, people from
Minneapolis ventured to Patrick’s where they could
have the freedom to smoke and drink at the same time.
The sign out front read “smokers welcome.” And, if you
looked around the bar on any given night, about 90
percent of the people were smoking a cigarette.
The health of the workers was never an issue. The main
bartender is not a smoker, but if asked about smoking
at the bar, he’ll simply say “if I didn’t like the
smoke, I wouldn’t work here.”
Then came March 31, 2006. Right from the very start,
you could easily see business was down. Patrick’s even
has a patio, but that didn’t seem to matter –
especially on week nights. When there would normally
be around 30 people in the bar on a week night, there
is now only 3 or 4. The once-thriving community bar is
now dead. Sure, sometimes on the weekends, people will
come. They will sit on the patio and reminiss. But,
the place is not at all how it used to be. In fact, it
no longer makes sense to operate this business.
Last night I heard they are thinking of selling off
the bar to a developer. The property sits in a prime
location for new housing. While the bar was very
profitable prior to the smoking ban, it no longer
makes sense to have a bar there.
Patrick’s is unique – please don’t let this bar die!
It is filled with Irish décor, games and music; and it
used to be filled with friendly, hard working people
from the neighborhood.
I think this bar could be the first bar to go out of
business since the smoking ban.
Please do whatever you can to publicize this. Please
help us! I know there is a petition, but the ALA and
other lobbyist groups are doing whatever they can to
ensure we don’t put the petition through. Please help
before Patrick’s dies, and adults in this community
lose their place of entertainment and relaxation.
We’re hard working people who don’t deserve this.
Patrick’s is a tradition that cannot die.
Sincerely,
A concered regular at Patrick's |
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